After writing about the legendary exploits of the air-ax Commander Lucille von Shard, the propagandist Kile Simlex returns to his desk to slip into oblivion. A mysterious message, claiming to be from von Shard, gives him a chance to escape. He travels to Deighton – an imperial world in open rebellion – to find the former pilot, now a haunted shadow of herself. With a xenos mercenary of unparalleled skill on the loose and the wave of war approaching, Simlex must help her prepare for a deadly fight or witness her ultimate defeat. Above and Beyond by Denny Flowers.
!